Clip for paper currency



Dec. 21, 1965 H. M. ABRAHAM CLIP FOR PAPER CURRENCY Filed March 20, 1964 INVENTOR. HARRY M. ABRAHAM United States Patent ()fitice 3,224,652 Patented Dec. 21, 1965 3,224,652 (ILIP FUR PAPER CURRENCY Harry M. Abraham, 1246 Pratt Blvd, Chicago, 111., as-

signor of one-half to John Howarth and Loyd C. Johnson Filed Mar. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 353,344 3 Claims. (Cl. 24-3) This invention relates to clips for holding articles that are normally carried by a person. It will be described with reference to its application to clips for holding paper currency, but it can be applied to clips worn as clothing fasteners or ornaments as well.

It sometimes occurs that one is locked out of a car or home inadvertently through the action of an automatic door lock. In such cases the availability of a spare key carried on the person is highly desirable. Such spare key, however, should not require a conscious act on the part of the person to transfer it from one article of clothing to another as such clothing is changed by that person from day to day.

It is an object of this invention to provide means for carrying a key or the like about ones person which does not require a conscious act directed toward such key to insure the retention of the key on ones person.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a means for carrying a spare key or the like wherein the appearance of said means is not normally assoclated with keys, thereby to conceal the presence of said spare key.

A more specific object of this invention is the provision of a clip for paper currency, or the like, in which is formed a relatively fiat compartment wherein a key may be concealed, with means accessible from the exterior of the compartment for moving the key out of the clip so that it may be inserted into the keyhole of a lock.

Thus, in its preferred form, this invention takes advantage of the fact that the article most faithfully carried by people is a money holder such as a paper currency or bill clip, and incorporates a compartment in such clip by forming an extra fold in the thin, resilient metal stock of which the clip is made. The extra key is then concealed in the compartment. The clip is formed with an end slot through which the key may be projected to operative position and with a longitudinal slot through which a slide in the slot is fastened to the shank of the key, the slide serving as a means by which the key can be moved back and forth in the compartment.

The preferred form of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which;

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a paper currency clip showing a car key in dotted outline concealed therein;

FIG. 2 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 1, but showing the car key in its extended and operative position;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation in cross-section of the clip of FIG. 1, the section being taken along line 33 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows at the ends thereof;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view in section of the clip of FIG. 1, taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows at the ends thereof, and

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the clip of FIG. 1, as seen from the right in that figure.

In its preferred form, the clip of this invention is made from a single strip of thin, resilient spring stock or of a material which, when reduced in thickness to a sufiicient degree, is resilient enough to provide a holding force for paper currency. Thus, any spring steel can be used, including the stainless group of steels. The Phosphor bronzes may also be used, and where ornamentation is of prime consideration, the metals normally used for jewelry may also be found to be satisfactory, either in the solid form or plated upon a baser spring metal.

As clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the single strip of metal is preferably initially rectangular in form and is folded twice upon itself to form a top member 10, a bottom member 11, and an intermediate member 12, each of said members being connected to one of the other members to form a unitary whole. Bottom member 12 is longer than either of the other two members to facilitate the insertion of folded currency between members 10 and 12, and its end 13 extends outwardly beyond the ends of the top and intermediate members 10 and 12. A substantially three-quarter cylindrical fold 14 connects the top and bottom members 10 and 11, and a substantially semicylindrical fold 15 connects the top and intermediate members 10 and 12.

Fold 15, in its free state, is such as to hold members 10 and 12 at a small acute angle with respect to one another, so that said members 16 and 12 diverge slightly with respect to one another. Fold 14 is formed in a manner to urge top and bottom members 10 and 11 respectively toward one another, thereby normally holding the edge region of intermediate member 12 at fold 15 against bottom member 1-1. With fold 1-5 tending to separate members 10 and 12 resiliently, the net result is that the intermediate member 12 is pressed substantially throughout its length against bottom member 11, thereby providing a resilient holding or clamping force against any folded paper currency 31 (shown in dotted outline), which may be inserted between intermediate member 12 and bottom member 11.

It may be observed from FIG. 4 that intermediate member 12 is separated from the top member 10 sufliciently to form a relatively flat chamber 16 therebetween. The vertical height of chamber 16 is slightly greater than the thickness of the average car or house key, and the length of the chamber, although determined primarily by the Width of the paper currency to be held by the clip, is also sufficient to accept the full length of a car key. Similarly, the width of the top and intermediate members 19 and 12 is sufficiently large to perform efi'iciently the paper currency holding function for which the clip is designed, but at the same time is sufiiciently wide to conceal the widest portion of the shank of a car key. Thus, the dimensions normally encountered in a clip to hold folded paper currency 31 are singularly appropriate to provide a compartment in which a key may be concealed.

The manner in which a car key is completely contained in the chamber formed by the top and intermediate members 10 and 12, respectively, is shown clearly in FIG. 1 where a typical car key is shown in dotted outline in said chamber 16. It is contemplated that the key, once installed in the clip will remain with the clip even when the key is inserted in the key hole of a lock. Inasmuch as it may not be desirable to remove the folded paper currency from the clip while the key is being used, and inasmuch as the edges of the paper currency may extend to the left, as viewed in FIG. 1, beyond the edges of the clip, it is contemplated further that the key will be extended from the clip by passing the key through a suitable open- 3 ing or slot in the three-quarter cylindrical fold 14. This slot is shown at 17 in FIGS. 4 and 5. It is also shown in dotted outline in FIGS. 1 and 2. The key is shown at 18 in each of the figures, and for purposes of illustration, is shown with an octagonal shank 19 and the usual fluted lock-operating portion 20. The key is made from a blank which is initially furnished with the clip when the latter is purchased. Inasmuch as they key is not intended to be used frequently but only in an emergency, the key may also be in the form of an ornament and may be formed from any of the metals commonly used for jewelry. As initially furnished, the key blank does not have the usual opening in the shank for a key ring or chain, but is formed with a drilled and tapped hole 21 (FIG. 4) in the central region of the shank 19 and with a smaller plain hole 22 located to one side of tapped hole 21 and in line with the longitudinal axis of the key. The purposes of the holes 21 and 22 will be made apparent hereinafter.

It is essential that key 18 will be held firmly in place in chamber 16, particularly in its concealed position shown in FIG. 1. It is also essential that the key be accessible from the exterior of the clip so that it can be manipulated to the right as viewed in FIG. 1 through the slot 17 to make the portion thereof available for insertion into the key hole of a lock. These objectives are achieved by providing a longitudinal slot 23 in top member 10, which extends substantially from one fold 14 to the opposite fold 15. An upwardly projecting slide 24- operates in slot 23 and has a portion 25 which extends through the slot 23 into contact with the upper surface of the key shank 19. Slide 24 has an opening 26 therein through which a screw 27 extends, the threaded portion of the screw engaging the threads of the tapped hole 21 in shank 19. A pin 28 is pressed into a blind hole in slide 24 and it extends into the plain hole 22 in key shank 19. Thus, slide 24 is securely fastened to the shank 19 of key 18, and since slide 24 projects upwardly above the top member 10 of the clip, it is accessible from the exterior of the clip.

The sides 29 and 30 (FIG. 3) of the portion 25 of slide 24 are parallel and are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the width of slot 23, so that said slide cannot turn in slot 23. Since slide 24 is connected to the key shank by both screw 27 and pin 28, key 18 is prevented from turning relative to slide 24 and the latter thus serves as a means for orienting key 18 in the clip. Thus when key 18 is completely withdrawn into chamber 16 as shown in FIG. 1, said key not only cannot turn in the chamber, but it is oriented toward the slot 17 in fold 14, so that as the slide 24 is moved to the right as viewed in FIG. 1, the key will be aligned with the slot and will pass therethrough readily. The movement of the key in chamber 16 has no effect on the currency held between intermediate member 12 and bottom member 11, since the intermediate member shields the currency from the key.

Portion 25 of slide 24, defined by sides 29 and 30, is slightly thicker than the thickness of the top member 111, so that the upper portion of the slide 24, though Wider than the slot as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, will not bindagainst the top member 10 when screw 27 is tightened into key shank 19 and thus render difficult the sliding of the key out of the clip. Such movement of the key may also be hindered when an unusual number of bills is inserted into the clip, since they require increased space in the region of fold 14 and must obtain this space by expanding the fold. The fold, however, is the stifiiest part of the clip and hence the free end of member 12 is moved by the currency against key 18, and the latter is then moved upward against top member 10, so that the key is held frictionally between members 12 and 10. It is desirable, therefore, to allow enough space between top member 10 and bottom member 11 at fold 14 to accommodate key 18, member 12 and a miximum thickness of paper currency, so that said key will always be held between members 10 and 12 with light friction force in any desired position in the clip.

It is understood that the clip may take other forms to accommodate utilitarian objects other than keys and that various means of ornamentation may be applied to the clip to enhance its attractiveness. The clip may similarly be made of three individual members instead of a single fiat strip folded twice, the individual members being connected together by resilient means, such as spring biased hinges. It is understood further that slide 24 may be made of nylon, or other low friction material, and that the interior of chamber 16 may be coated with a low friction plastic to facilitate movement of key 18 in chamber 16.

The foregoing description is illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention and the scope of the invention is not to be limited thereto, but is to be determined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A clip comprising a single piece of flat spring stock folded over upon itself twice to provide elongated top, bottom and intermediate flat members, with a first rounded portion connecting the adjacent end regions of the top and bottom members and a second rounded portion connecting the opposite end region of the top with the end region of the intermediate member adjacent thereto, said first rounded portion resiliently urging the top and bottom members together and said second rounded portion resiliently urging the top and intermediate members apart whereby to press said intermediate member against the bottom member to form a spring clip for the retention of paper money or the like, and whereby to form a chamber between the top and intermediate members, said first rounded portion having a slot therein extending lengthwise of the said end portion and said top member having a slot extending toward said first end portion, a slide having a top member and a bottom region extending through said slot in the top, said bottom region being thicker than the thickness of the top member at the slot, a key in the chamber between the top and intermediate members, said key having a lock-operating end and a shank, means securing the key shank to the slide with the lock-operating end of the key extending toward and aligned with the opening in the first rounded portion, and a pin spaced from the securing means and extending through the slot into engagement with the slide and key shank to prevent relative rotation between the key and slide, said slide having a first position in said slot in the top member wherein the entire key is retained in the chamber between the top and intermediate members, and a second position in the slot in the top member wherein the lock-operating end of the key extends through the slot in the first rounded portion.

2. A clip comprising in combination a holder formed from a single piece of resilient flat stock having one end folded over and substantially uniformly spaced from an intermediate section thereof and the opposite end thereof folded over and resiliently bearing against the folded first end to form a fiat chamber between the said one end and intermediate section, there being a slot in said intermediate section extending longitudinally therein, a slide extending into the slot and movable therealong, a key in the chamber, and means securing the slide to the key, said holder having an opening in the fold of the opposite end through which said key can be projected by the slide.

'5. A clip as described in claim 2, and characterized in that the said opposite end extends beyond the fold between the said one end and the intermediate section and the fold of the opposite end being of three-quarter cylindrical form, such that said extending end may be readily forced away from the said one end against the resilience of the fold to resiliently hold flat objects between said ends.

(References on following page) 5 6 References Cited by the Examiner 2,435,032 1/1948 Campbell 150-40 X 2 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 367925 1/ 19 9 Bots FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1923 De Luca 30-462 5 562,077 11/1957 Belgium. 3/1931 Leclerc 30 162 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 8/1933 Segal. 9 193 1 DONLEY J. STOCKING, Examiner. 12/ 1940 DOnofris 243 D. GRIFFIN, Assistant Examiner. 

2. A CLIP COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A HOLDER FORMED FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF RESILIENT FLAT STOCK HAVING ONE END FOLDED OVER AND SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY SPACED FROM AN INTERMEDIATE SECTION THEREOF AND THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF FOLDED OVER AND RESILIENTLY BEARING AGAINST THE FOLDED FIRST END TO FORM A FLAT CHAMBER BETWEEN THE SAID ONE END AND INTERMEDIATE SECTION, THERE BEING A SLOT IN SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREIN, A SLIDE EXTENDING INTO THE SLOT AND MOVABLE THEREALONG, A KEY IN THE CHAMBER, AND MEANS SECURING THE SLIDE TO THE KEY, SAID HOLDER HAVING AN OPENING IN THE FOLD OF THE OPPOSITE END THROUGH WHICH SAID KEY CAN BE PROJECTED BY THE SLIDE. 